Lawyer presses SolGen to move for SC justice ouster

Solicitor General Jose Calida has been urged anew to file a quo warranto petition seeking the removal of Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen from his post over alleged non-submission of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

Lawyer Larry Gadon, in his letter to Calida dated September 25, said “the recent denial of the Supreme Court” on his “request for the release of certified copies of AJ Marivic Leonen’s SALNs should not dampen the advocacy” to pursue the filing of a quo warranto petition similar to the case of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“I hereby respectfully urge and respectfully reiterate my request for the Office of the Solicitor General to proceed with the filing of a Quo Warranto case against AJ Marivic Leonen on the ground of [alleged] lack of integrity for not filing complete SALNs,” Gadon said in his two page letter to Calida.

Gadon said: “I do not see any valid reason why the same request should be denied by the Supreme Court when all requisites have been complied with by the undersigned by accomplishing the SALN request form provided on the website of the Supreme Court itself, duly accomplished and notarized, which was exactly the same thing and procedure I complied with (in) my previous request for the Sereno SALNs which was almost immediately granted by the Supreme Court en banc with AJ Leonen even voting for its approval.

“I do not see any reason why the same reception cannot be given in the instant request for AJ Marivic Leonen’s SALNs.”

“If Atty. Lourdes Sereno was ousted from the Supreme Court due to lack of integrity as exemplified by her non-filing of SALNs in UP for many years, then there is no reason why the same standard should not be applied to Associate Justice Marivic Leonen,” Gadon added.

Gadon also vowed to file a motion for reconsideration seeking to reverse the SC ruling denying his request to secure the SALN of Leonen.

Republic Act 6713 of 1989 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees requires all state officials and employees to file their yearly SALNs.

Manila Times columnist Rigoberto “Bobi” D. Tiglao earlier stated in his column that Leonen allegedly did not submit his SALN for several years when he was still a professor at the University of the Philippines’ College of Law.

Earlier, the SC junked the separate requests of the Office of the Solicitor General and of Gadon seeking the full disclosure of Leonen’s SALN in preparation of a quo warranto petition.

“I would like to confirm that the Supreme Court in today’s (September 15) En Banc session unanimously resolved to deny the requests of the Office of the Solicitor General and [Attorney] Lorenzo G. Gadon,” SC spokesperson Brian Hosaka said.

In a letter to en banc Clerk of Court Edgardo Aricheta, dated September 9, said Gadon asked the court for certified copies of Leonen’s SALN for the years 1990 to 2011.

“This is to respectfully request for certified copies of the SALNs of Associate Justice Marvic Leonen for the years 1990 to 2011, the SALNs required to be submitted upon his application to the Supreme Court, and a certification from your good office on the lacking years if any,” said Gadon in his letter-request.